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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1880.
dynasty (i. e. circ. 265 A. D.), by the famous priest Dharmaraksha, relating to this very subject. It occurs in the 5th chapter of the collection called King-taong-yo-ehwo, and is called F0-8hwo-16lam-pwan-king, i.e. the Satra Avalambana spoken by Buddha. We shall proceed to give a translation of this short sermon, and so leave the matter in the hands of the student.
repeated at the offering of the sacrifices, by which the virtue thereof would be certainly secured.
On this Mugalan with joy accepted the instruction, and by means of this institution rescued his mother from her sufferings.
And so for all future time this means of deliverance shall be effectual for the purpose designed, as year by year the offerings are prosented according to the form delivered by Buddha.
Having heard these words, Mugalan and the rest departed to their several places, with joyous hearts and glad thoughts.
The Avalambana Sútra. Thus have I heard. Buddha at one time was residing in the country of Sr&vasti, in the garden of Jeta the friend of the orphans. At this time Mugalan having begun to acquire the six supernatural powers (irrdhi), desiring above all things, from a motive of piety, to deliver his father and mother, forthwith called into use his power of supernatural sight, and looking throughout the world he beheld his unhappy mother existing without food or drink in the world of Pretas (hungry ghosts) nothing but skin and bone. Mugalan, moved with filial pity, immediatety presented to her his alms-bowl filled with rice. His mother, then taking the bowl in her left hand, endeavoured with her right to convey the rice to her mouth, but before it came near to her lips, lo! the rice was converted into fiery ashes, so that she could not eat thereof. At the sight of this, Mugalan uttered a piteous cry, and wept many tears as he bent his way to the place where Buddha was located. Arrived there, he explained what had happened, and awaited Buddha's instruction. On this the master opened his mouth, and said, "The sin which binds your mother to this unhappy fate is a very grievous one, from it you can never by your own strength rescue her, no! nor yet all the powers of earth or heaven, men or divine beings : not all these are equal to the task of deliverance. But by assembling the priests of the ten quarters, through their spiritual energy deliverance may be had. I will now recount to you the method of rescue from this and all similar calamities." Then Buddha continued :-"On the 15th day of the 7th month the priests of the ten quarters being gathered together ought to present an offering for the rescue of ancestors during seven generations past, as well as those of the present generation, every kind of choice food and drink, as well 19 sleeping materials and beds These should be offered up by the assembled priesthood as though the ancestors themselves were present, by which they shall obtain deliverance from the pains, and be born at once in a condition of happiness in Heaven." And, moreover, the World-honoured One taught his followers certain words to be
THE TOOTH-SEAL OF ASOKA.
By Rev. S. BEAL, B.A. Inthecurious legend given of Asoka in Burnouf's Introduction à l'Hist. du Buddhisme Ind. p. 407, we read that his wife Tishyarakshita, determined to punish her son-in-law Kun Ala, for his non-compliance with her wishes, by having his beautiful eyes put out. For this purpose, having got the king to grant her the royal authority for seven days, she wrote a letter to the magistrates of Takshasila giving orders to this effect--" That the eyes of Kun&la should at once be torn out." We read then that she caused this letter to be sealed with an "ivory seal," and to be dispatched to its destination. The expression "un sceau d'ivoire," used by Burnouf, has been shown by Julien (ii. 156n) to be really equivalent to the "seal of his tooth"the Sanscrit danta meaning both ivory" and "tooth," and the Chinese version demands the latter signification in the legend before us. We have here another proof of the advantage of studying the Chinese accounts in connection with these Buddhist legends translated from the Sangkrit or PAli. But our object in drawing the reader's attention to this legend is that he may compare this tooth-seal of Asoka with the following verses which occur in the gift of lands to the Rawdon family (Marquis of Hastings), vide "Burke's Peerage, sub." Hastings" :
"I, William, king, the third of my reign, Give to Paulyn Rawdon, Hope and Hopetowne, With all tire bounds both up and downe, From heaven to yerthe, from yerthe to hel, For thee and thyne there to dwell. As truly as this kingright is mine, For a crossbow and an arrow. When I sal come to hunt on yarrow; And in token that this thing is sooth, I bit the whyt wax with my tooth, Before Meg, Mawd, and Margery, And my third son Henry."
· From The Oriental, Nov. 6, 1875.
From The Oriental, October., 1875.
